Educational Resources
Links contributed by the Ocean Project to useful educational websites and literature focusing on marine and environmental issues.
The Bridge
The best online Educational Resources on oceans and marine science.
The Center for Ecosystem Survival
CEF works to increase individual participation and action in preserving biodiversity and protecting ecosystems worldwide. Programs include Adopt an Acre, Adopt a Reef, Nature Savers, Conservation Parking Meters, and several teachers' guides and resources.
Center for Sustainable Fisheries (2002). Fish Trouble - A Teacher's Guide for Grades 5 - 12 (http://csf.rsmas.miami.edu/projects.html). University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and Audubon's Living Seas: Miami, FL. 60 pages.
This draft publication produced by the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science Center for Sustainable Fisheries allows teachers to educate students of various ages about fisheries issues through activity-based lesson plans. Topics include, but are not limited to, marine trophic levels, fishing technology, and the consequences of bycatch.
Classroom Antarctica
This site, developed by the Australian government, is a fantastic resource for information and educational tools related to Antarctica. In addition to eight different topics, each including a number of activities, the site provides recent news, articles, and an index relating to Antarctica, its exploration and environment.
Community Action Guide
This Action Guide, created by World Wildlife Fund and Center for a New American Dream, helps suggest ways to take on group action projects. A great resource for teachers and organizations working with large groups of young people!
EE-Link
EE-Link, a project of the North American Association for Environmental Education, is a comprehensive source of environmental education resources for teachers and students.
Environment Canada: Freshwater website
This site offers teacher guides, activities, and lessons for teaching about water to a all different grade levels. It also links to information about Canada's water policy and the connection between water and culture.
Environmental Literacy Council
This group is dedicated to helping people, especially young people, understand and participate in making positive choices for the environment. Issues covered include: air and climate, land, water, ecosystems, energy, food, and environment and society. Each section includes a plethora of information for students and educators.
Environmental Resources Center
ERC is a great resource for educators looking to teach about water. Their website links to education initiatives focused on water issues and conservation, curriculum guides, and other pollution prevention education tools.
EnviroScape
These highly acclaimed educational models are effective, comprehensive teaching tools for watersheds, non-point source water pollution, wetlands, and more.
EPA Student Center
This educational portion of the EPA website is designed to expose middle and high school students to a wide range of environmental issues. The water portion of the site provides information on numerous current marine and freshwater issues.
Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE)
GLOBE is an international science and education program utilizing field-based data collection as a tool for learning, collaborating, and advancing understanding. It is a cooperative effort of schools all around the world and led in part by a number of U.S. federal agencies. Student data is reported through the Internet, where it can be shared and maps be made from it. For teachers they offer workshops, guides, videos, and web chat.
Marinebio.com
This site is a cornucopia of information on marine biology, marine research, and educational activities.
National Geographic Xpeditions
This innovative site from National Geographic includes an interactive learning museum, lesson plans, and activities sorted by grade and U.S. Geography standards. It is a fantastic site for both teachers and students and the lessons most often integrating subjects and include the role of natural resources.
Neptune's Web
Neptune's web offers resources for both teachers and students with lesson plans, an encyclopedia of oceanography, trivia, information on student and teacher education programs, and links to other oceanography sites.
NOAA Ocean Explorer
This educational site offers lesson plans, exploration activities, history, a library, and more all focused on ocean exploration.
Oceanlink
This site offers a lot of interesting and accessible information about various ocean topics, making it a great resource for kids interested in the ocean and ocean life. In addition to mini lessons, it includes 'Ask a Scientist' and news on ocean conservation issues.
The Ocean Report Guide for Marine Educators
This interactive, web-based guide features audio files with Peter Benchley, classroom activity ideas, information on the ocean, and lots of great resources designed for 4th through 8th grade students.
Ocean World
A great oceanography site for educators and students. Information and activities for teaching oceanography are provided for educators and students are able to conduct research on current oceanography topics.
Odyssey Expeditions - Biology Learning Center
The Biology Learning Center offers condensed mini-courses on a variety of topics including fish biology and ecology, mangroves, tides and coral reefs. Lessons are well written and include helpful pictures and diagrams.
Project WET
This nonprofit water education program for educators and students promotes awareness, appreciation, knowledge, and stewardship of water resources through the dissemination of classroom-ready teaching aids and programs. In addition to the comprehensive Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide, the program has a wide range of materials in their online store.
Project WILD
Project WILD is an interdisciplinary environmental education program that uses wildlife as the basis to teach students from kindergarten through high school about ecosystems and sustainability. The website offers curriculum and conference information for teachers.
Seafriends
Seafriends offers hundreds of pages of illustrated lessons on dozens of oceanography topics including currents, storms and waves. Similar resources about soil, resource management, conservation, biodiversity, and the disappearance of beaches are also available.
Sea Profiles
Sea Profiles - an Interactive Journey of Ocean Exploration is a fun and informative CD-ROM educational program that takes the user on a voyage to unveil ocean mysteries. The program focuses on the waters of Florida, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and the Sargasso Sea.
Smithsonian Marine Programs
This site provides links to the Smithsonian Institution's marine programs including research, exhibits, expeditions, reports, and marine biology.
The Sustainability Education Center
The Center's website allows educators to order educational material with focus on sustainability.
Sustainable Seas Expeditions
This 5-year expedition conducted by National Geographic and NOAA is investigating and researching U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries. The website details the expeditions and provides resource books, classroom ideas, and activities that correlate to each expedition.
Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future
This UNESCO site offers information about its multimedia professional development program for educators. The site is easy to use and provides examples of activities for educators.
Water Environment Federation
The Water Environment Federation is a nonprofit technical and educational organization dedicated to preservation and enhancement of the global water environment. The international network includes professionals from 32 countries, and the website offers current news stories and educational resources for kindergarten through university-level students. Subject areas include wastewater, industrial wastewater, biosolids, watershed issues and more.
Environmental Education, Theory, and Communications
Academy for Educational Development (TOP Partner)
AED works with organizations that are trying to create social change. Among other services, they provide assistance with communications, evaluations, materials development, program design, marketing, and planning. One of AED's focus areas is on changing environmental behaviors.
Applied Environmental Education and Communication
This quarterly journal presents the latest environmental developments in the fields of education, communication, social marketing, journalism, and behavioral science, as well as information on sustainability education, environmental interpretation, risk communication, public relations and outreach, environmental health communication, governmental and corporate public awareness, and environmental campaigns around the world.
CORE
CORE (Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education) is a non-profit organization representing academic institutions, aquariums, and non-profit research organizations with the goal of promoting and enhancing ocean research and education. CORE is involved in education, research, and public policy activities.
EPA Environmental Education Center
This site had a wealth of resources for teachers including curriculum, activities, background information, community service projects, conferences, and student scholarship and award information. They also provide a dictionary, summary of all laws affecting environmental policy, and news resources.
GreenCOM Resource Center
The GreenCOM resource center has over 3,000 books, journals, reports, videos, audiotapes and other classroom materials for environmental educators and communicators.
Green Teacher
This magazine by and for educators is intended to enhance environmental and global education across curricula at all grade levels (K-12). Selected articles, activities, and ideas as well as subscriptions can be accessed online.
Institute for Learning Innovation
This non-profit learning research and development organization conducts research, develops models, and offers assistance to free-choice learning centers such as museums, science centers, and libraries.
National Environmental Education and Training Foundation
This EE foundation provides grants and guidance for environmental education programs.
North American Association for Environmental Education
NAAEE provides support, guidelines, and resources for environmental educators and programs.
Aquarium, Zoo, and Museum Educational Sites
Alaska SeaLife Center
The Alaska SeaLife Center website offers ready-to-go marine-related lesson plans for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Find great activities and lessons through both the Discovery Education Programs link and Project Master.
American Zoo and Aquarium Association
This portion of the AZA website contains educational resources, updates, and publications specific to zoos, aquaria, and teachers. Topics include marine and terrestrial issues from around the world.
NEW Aza Web
An educational resource for kids about the environment and how they can make a difference.
Aquarium of the Pacific
This site is filled with detailed descriptions of the Aquarium's educational programs designed for kids of all ages.
Bermuda Aquarium, Museum & Zoo
This site has educational resources concerning a wide range of topics in marine biology and conservation for all grade levels. It is also worthwhile to learn about their various conservation projects and research.
Busch Gardens and Seaworld
Busch Gardens offers printable teacher guides (in PDF) from their website on different topics for various grade levels and additional resources can also be ordered. Through this site you can also access their animal sounds library and other animal news and information.
Dolphin Quest
This site features an excellent educational resource page including elementary and secondary level activities and handouts and a quarterly resource magazine for teachers. This page also highlights games, books, educational links, and sounds of the ocean. Resources in multiple languages are available.
Franklin Institute
The Franklin Institute is an extensive resource of activities, lesson plans, career resources, and descriptions of a wide range of ocean-related topics. They also have a thorough list of links offering more of the same.
Museum of Science Boston
The Museum of Science has put together The Educator's Cheapbook, a collection of lessons and activities teaching scientific principles from science educators around the country, available through their website. Many are applicable to marine science. Also available through their site is an interactive weather map and on-line exhibits.
Mystic Aquarium
Mystic Aquarium has great activities for kids, including an interactive field guide to New England Rocky Shores directly through their website. Their site also includes some teacher resources and lots of information about different animals and their habitats.
National Aquarium in Baltimore
NAIB's website offers teacher resources and includes student activities. The many conservation projects in which they are involved are also a valuable educational resource.
SeaTrek
This distance learning program of Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium offers a wide range of videoconference science programs for 4th-8th grades.
The Seattle Aquarium
The Seattle Aquarium has downloadable teacher guides and other educational resources for teachers as well as fun activities for kids.
SeaWorld Teacher Guides
This site offers teachers a wide variety of marine and environmental education guides to download or order.
Shedd Aquarium
Shedd Educational Adventures (SEA) has an extensive, searchable database of lesson plans, interactives, and more for K-12 teachers and students.